Ann Not Annie Book Tour

Ann, not Annie, is tired of her nominal existence and has vowed to turn things around by dating the hottest guy in school, Jacob Waters. Easier said than done since Jacob isn’t even aware she exists. The truth is, due to Ann’s lively temper she spends more time in detention with the rest of the school rejects than she does fantasizing about Jacob Waters wearing spandex.

Her best friend and devout alien believer, Lisa, doesn’t like the changes she’s seeing in her BFF. Neither does Danny Feller, a fellow detention inmate and resident lost boy who has started keeping an extra watchful and unwanted eye on Ann.

When a chance encounter in an empty hallway changes everything, Ann finds all her dreams coming true and she is well on her way to living the perfect life she’s always wanted. But appearances aren’t always what they seem and Ann is going to have to face not just cold hard facts, but also her past.

Sage Steadman was awarded a master’s degree in social work from the University of Utah. While pursuing her passion for writing, she worked as a licensed mental health therapist. She published her debut novel, “Snowflake Obsidian: Memoir of a Cutter,” in 2010 under her pen name, The Hippie, and since, re-released the second edition under her real name. The novel has been deemed an “idyllic” read, filled with love, humor, romance and heart. She is also the co-author of the gritty and inspiring historical fiction novel, “Upon Destiny’s Song,” alongside classical guitarist, Mike Ericksen, and has penned an article on teen cutting for Canadian Magazine, “Edmonton’s Child.” She has recently produced a stunning and thought-reflecting novella entitled, “The Waking Dream.” Sage is heralded as a talented writer who tackles her novels with a witty, raw and honest approach. She currently lives near Salt Lake City, Utah with family.

Copy of Ann Not Annie provided through Xpresso Book Tours for an honest review.

When I first started reading Ann Not Annie I thought it was going to be a basic story of a girl in high school who wanted to be popular, end of the story. What I read was so much better than that. This book had so much more emotion, heart, and sorrow than I originally thought it would and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Ann was so much than met the eyes or so much more than what the synopsis made her out to be. Yes, she was getting sent to detention a lot and there for labeled a trouble maker. Yes, she had some anger issues. Yes, she fantasizes about being with her dream crush and his clique of popular kids. But all of that was just to cover up how Ann truly felt about herself, her family, and the turn her life had taken. Deep down Ann is a really deep person who struggles with a lot on a daily basis and the things she had to go through truly made my heart break for her. How she manages to keep from breaking down every day was lost to me. Ann is really a strong character and this story shows how someone so strong and can only take so much.

One thing I wanted to point out is that the way this story is written is so different than anything I’ve ever read before. It’s told in the third person, but also through the eyes of a character. Though this character refuses to reveal them self until the end of the book. The twist of writing style was really fun and added another element to this already unique story.

To keep from giving too much away I just want to say that this book has so many layers that you will be on the edge of your seat trying to figure it all out. I’ll admit, there were a few parts that dragged for me, but that’s being really nitpicky as these parts were few and far between. No matter what, this is definitely one you don’t want to pass on.